Grilled Brats with Southern Toppings

No Fourth of July would be complete without fireworks and grilling. But this year, you can bring your fireworks to the grill. Johnsonville Sausage has brought back some spicy seasonal bratwurst flavors this summer including Firecracker and Jalapeno Cheddar Brats. Plus they’ve introduced new flavors like Hot Chili and Buffalo Blue Brats. I could live on these brats all summer long.

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Nothing says summer like firing up the grill with some Johnsonville Brats. I love that the flavors are already packed in the sausage. Out of all the flavors I’ve tried, and I’ve tried many, Firecracker Brats are my favorite. They are flavored with hot peppers and have just the right amount of kick. They are incredibly juicing and you literally get a burst of flavor in your mouth when you bite into them.

Everyone likes their brats topped just a little differently so when I grill brats for a cookout, I like to offer different ways to top them.

The awesome thing about Johnsonville Brats is the actual brat has so much flavor already, there’s really no need for any condiments at all.

But if you’re a sucker for toppings like I am, and you want to give them a little southern flair, top them either with pimento cheese or Green Tomato Chow Chow. I can never resist warm, creamy, melted pimento cheese, but I am in love with putting Green Tomato Chow Chow on a brat, especially with kraut and mustard.

I use a super quick and easy chow chow recipe that has plenty of tang and just enough sweetness to contrast the sour flavor of the kraut and the spiciness of the brats and mustard.

This Fourth of July, grill up some Johnsonville Firecracker Brats and bring the fireworks to your grill. They are bursting with flavor!

Make pimento cheese. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to mix well. Depending on how many pimentos you want, you may or may not want to use all of them.

Make Green Tomato Chow Chow. Cut tomatoes, green pepper, onion, and jalapeno into chunks and process in a food processor until fairly finely chopped. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and salt. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. (Just cook long enough to dissolve the sugar and distribute the flavors. You want the vegetables to maintain some crunch.)

Grill Bratwurst according to package directions.

Top brats with either pimento cheese or sauerkraut, Green Tomato Chow Chow, and mustard.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.